Marozzo's First assalto of sword and buckler

The first of three assalti for sword and buckler described by Achille Marozzo in his treatise, Opera Nova. This assalto is broken into seven parts, plus an introduction. In addition, Marozzo instructs his students to complete each part with an embellishment, which is initially prescribed but later left up to the students' creative powers.

This assalto is "asymmetric" in the sense that Marozzo primarily focuses on the actions of one player, named the agente, only occasionally describing what his opponent, patiente, is doing.

Usage Notes

Translation

The source of this work is Academie Duello's "CNAT" translation, done in 2011. An older translation may be found here

The addition of numbers preceding lines of text is not from the original. It was added by the interpreter to create "verses" (a la the Bible) to allow for easy reference to passages.

Interpretive punctuation has also been added.

Interpretation tables

Each part has been interpreted as a series of actions designed to open tempi on the Patiente in order to strike them once or twice; it is not believe that every cut is designed to strike.

Each row of a given Part's interpretation (except for the last column) applies to the Agente.

In the text the Patiente's role is rarely specified. The interpreter has specified actions to aid understanding what the Agente is trying to accomplish and move against.

Bociollo

This is a specific action also known as the "Blossom". It appears in nearly every Part of Marozzo's assalti of sword and buckler and is thus specified here:

cut a mandritto tondo to the legs with a withdrawl of the right foot

cut a riverso sgualembratto to the sword arm with an advance of the right foot

cut a montante with a withdrawl of the right foot, ending in guardia alta

Sequence

Introduction

From the Manuscript

Translation

1 The first assault of the wide play of sword and buckler.

2 Now here begins the first assault of the sword and small buckler, that is beautiful and useful in sparring and teaching. Note: the first need of fencing is to find your partner.

3 I want you to place yourself in a corner of the hall with your buckler at your lower left side, that is on the thigh, and your right foot close to your left, withdrawn neatly, and with the sword in coda lunga e larga, your arm extended, and your body right and gallant as much as possible.

4 I want you now to step forward with your right foot, and in this step I want you to strike the falso of your sword to the dome of your buckler, and in this striking, turn the dome away from your face,

5 then step with your left leg in a grand pass in front of your right, and in this step beat the buckler and place your sword into guardia di testa with the arm well extended.

6 Then turn the point of the sword towards the ground with the false-edge towards your buckler and there you throw a falso of the buckler in this way:

7 cut upwards with your right hand

8 and in the cut make a molinello while passing forward with your right foot.

9 Then perform another bringing your left foot in front.

10 You will end above the buckler arm and you will beat the buckler with your pommel to the inside of the rim

11 and there throw your sword fist ahead of your buckler, turning the point towards the ground, and in this turn cut a rising falso of the buckler.

12 In this cut throw your right foot forward.

13 And make a rising montante, immediately withdrawing your right foot close to your left,

14 the sword ending in guardia alta with your buckler extended.

15 Then you cut a fendente along the rim of the buckler stepping your right foot behind

16 and that being done you pull the left foot alongside the right, and your sword will rest in coda longa e distesa.

17 Then you make a grand pass with the left foot ahead of the right, and in this step make a beat to the buckler and bring the sword to guardia di testa.

18 Cut again upwards a falso to the dome of the buckler, and in this cut make a grand pass with the right foot ahead of the left,

19 and make a rising montante along the buckler, immediately withdrawing the right foot close to the left.

20 Your sword will be in guardia alta with your arms well extended, and your left thigh away from the opponent, and your right foot well extended, and withdrawn gallantly. You, the agente, are now close to your opponent, as is the need whether you are the agente or the patiente.

Interpretation

Footwork

Strike

Ending in

Right advance

False edge to buckler

Left pass

False edge to buckler

Guardia di Testa

Right pass

Falso of buckler to rising molinello

Left pass

Rising molinello

above buckler arm

buckler strike

Right pass

Falso of buckler

Right retreat

molinello to montante

Guardia alta

Right pass back

fendente

Coda longa larga e distesa

Left retreat

Left advance

pommel to buckler & buckler punch to false edge

Guardia di testa

Right pass

Falso of buckler

Right retreat

molinello to montante

Guardia alta

Video

First part

Translation

1 But being that you are the Agente, that is, the first to wound:

2 I want you to be in guardia alta and to step forward with your right foot and cut a mandritto sgualembratto that goes over the arm, with the buckler well extended toward the right side of your opponent.

3 Quickly recover your right foot close to your left, and, if in that tempo your opponent cuts at your head or leg with a mandritto or a riverso or a thrust or a stramazzone

4 I want you, in that tempo, to make a pass forward with your right foot

5 and cut a riverso sgualembratto along the rim of your buckler, arriving in coda longa e stretta.

6 And if your opponent cuts to your head, I want you to make a thrust under your buckler to your opponent's face.

Video

Third part

Translation

1 Remaining in guardia alta I want you make a stramazzone that arrives in porta di ferro.

2 There, wait for the enemy to strike you with a mandritto, or a riverso, or a thrust, or a stramazzone at your head or leg.

3 If he gives you any of these strikes you will make a passing step, with your right foot, to the left

4 and, in this step, you will parry the strike of the opponent with the falso of your sword.

5 And if he gives you a riverso or a mandritto to the leg then you make a falso di riverso with your sword arriving in coda longa stretta;

6 if you make a falso and dritto your sword will arrive in porta di ferro larga.

7 And if then your opponent makes a cut at your head with a mandritto tondo, or fendente, or stramazzone,

8 I want you to go to a guard where you can parry with the true edge of your sword; protecting your sword hand with your buckler and directing the point of your sword at your opponent's face, parry the strike with your true edge.

9 And having parried the stramazzone or mandritto you will cut a riverso to his right temple,

10 staying firm with your right foot. But, let us say he makes a renewed strike at your head;

11 I want you in that strike to accompany your sword with your buckler, meeting it in guardia di testa, with your arms well extended and parry him another time.

12 And when you have parried their blow you will make a mandritto tondo to the leg arriving in guardia di sotto bracio

13 and without stopping you will make, justly, a riverso sgualembratto, rising immediately into a montante along the rim of your buckler, withdrawing your right foot close to your left and your sword ending in guardia alta.

14 And now embellish the play:

15 there you will make a passing step with your right foot behind your left and, in the step, you will cut a fendente along the rim of your buckler

16 and your sword will arrive in coda longa e distesa.

17 In that tempo draw your left foot close to your right, then immediately advance your left foot and make a ritocco to your buckler and your sword will arrive in guardia di testa with your arms well extended.

18 And, having made the ritocco, you will turn your sword towards the ground and you will make a falso to the outside of the dome of your buckler and make a montante,

19 bringing your right foot behind your left with your feet very close together.

20 And your sword will arrive in guardia alta with your arms and legs well arranged.

Interpretation

N.B. The silver and gold sets denote an "either/or" situation; do either the set in silver or the set in gold.

Initiator

Agente’s goal

Footwork

Strike

Target

Ending in

Patiente

Agente

provocation (change of guard)

right advance

stramazzone

porta di ferro stretta

strike

Patiente

soft parry

right cross-line pass

falso

cut to leg

Patiente

parry

left compass

r. sgualembratto

coda longa stretta

dritto to head

Patiente

parry

left compass

dritto to head

porta di ferro larga

dritto to head

Patiente

parry & strike

firm

thrust

face

guardia di facia

break thrust

Agente

strike

firm

r. sgualembratto

temple

none

strike to head

bociollo

embellish

Fourth part

Translation

1 Remaining in guardia alta, with your opponent arranged like you, I want you to pass forward with your right foot

2 and, in that pass, you make a mandritto tondo that arrives in guardia di sopra bracci, immediately drawing your right foot close to your left with good buckler position.

3 And, if, in that tempo that you are over your arm, your opponent strikes, high or low, or from guardia alta,

4 I want you to advance your right foot and make a thrust to the face of your opponent, outside of their right side.

5 And he will parry your thrust, beating it with the falso of the sword to the outside and uncover his left side.

6 And you will immediately make a riverso in falso to his left temple.

7 And if he were to cover up the mentioned parts, you make a riverso to the right side without moving your feet or legs. And quickly,

8 to cover yourself, you make a rising falso to his right arm making, in this tempo, a mezza volta of your hand to make a fendente along the rim of the buckler with your right foot passing behind your left;

11 by advancing the left foot ahead of the right and making, in that step, a ritocco to the buckler, there arriving with the sword in guardia di testa with the arms well extended.

12 And there you make a mezza volta of your hand, turning your point towards the ground, and, in one tempo, beat your falso to the dome of the buckler, passing forward with your right foot

13 and cutting, in that pass, a montante to the rim of the buckler – well-arranged - and your sword will arrive in guardia di testa,

14 and pull your right foot close to the left with your arms and legs well-arranged, and your left foot pointed towards your opponent and your buckler hand turned with the wrist upward.

15 Remaining in guardia di testa, with your opponent in guardia alta,

16 I want you to make a pass forward with your right foot and make a mandritto under your arm, withdrawing the foot close to you,

17 and, if your opponent strikes at your head or leg,

18 I want you in that strike to step with your left foot, just enough to pass towards the right side of your opponent.

19 And there strike him with a riverso that takes his head, and so to his arms, ending at his feet on his right side and your sword ends in coda longa alta.

20 And, if suddenly your enemy strikes you in the head or the leg, I want you to make a pass, with your right foot towards the left, and in this step, put your sword and buckler close together and parry that blow.

21 And having parried the blow you give a mandritto to his leg and immediately draw your right foot close to your left.

22 And, in one tempo, step forward with the right foot and make a just riverso sgualembratto followed by a montante and your sword will arrive in guardia alta with your right foot drawn close to your left.

23 And there you will embellish the play in the usual way by making cuts and beats to the shield.

24 And having made cuts and beats to the shield you will lift the sword so that it arrives in guardia di testa with your arms well-extended and politely arranged.

Interpretation

Initiator

Agente’s goal

Footwork

Strike

Target

Ending in

Patiente

Agente

provocation (attack to miss)

right advance + retreat

tondo

' 'sopra bracio

descending attack

Agente

feint

right advance

imbrocatta

right temple

parry to outside

Agente

feint

firm

riverso in falso

left temple

parry to inside

Agente

strike

firm

r. sgualembratto

right side

coda longa larga

riverso

Patiente

parry and cover

right pass back

falso sotano & fendente

right arm

coda longa e distessa

withdraw left leg, strike buckler and advance left to guardia di testa

Embellishments

Embellishments are "non-threatening" attacks at the end of each part of the assalti. They often involve attacking while moving backwards, or making excessive noise with the sword and shield. They are the 16th-century-equivalent of spiking the football in the end zone or growling and waving one's arms around. They can even be thought of (or used) as a flourish in a salute.